Kelly McParland: Sarah Palin versus the media

The shootings in Tucson would seem to have immediately complicated any plans Sarah Palin still has to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012.

Wherever you stand on the question of blame — read Chris Selley’s excellent survey on the rush to judgment and David Brooks’ condemnation of “the mainstream media”, among which his New York Times was pre-eminent — the keenness to roast Palin as the inspiration behind Jared Loughner’s madness demonstrates the depth of the antipathy towards her within the U.S. media. Having made clear its dislike, and inability to accord her the same show of even-handedness generally extended to politicians, the main media outlets could never credibly go back to feigning balance and impartiality in its treatment of a Palin campaign. She would be pretty much limited to the Fox network, and even Fox might hesitate at too clearly aligning itself with one candidate, especially one unlikely to win.

Palin did nothing to improve relations when she fired back in a video accusing the media of a “blood libel” in blaming her for the foul tone of public discourse.

Responsibility lies “not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election,” Palin said.

Palin placed blame on the media.”[E]specially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn,” she said. “That is reprehensible.”

Related

That’s a great tactic if you’re interested in cementing your position as the champion of a small but zealous group of supporters who see themselves as eternally under attack, but not the best way to ensure the fair hearing needed to sell yourself to the much larger audience Palin would need for a serious presidential run. If she decides to try anyway, Palin is likely to find herself running not just against the Democrats, but against many within the leadership of her own party, and the immense weight of the media from which most Americans still get their views. Good luck with that.